Voyage to Antarctica

Cape Petrels over Cape Adare

23 Feb – On station just off Cape Adare - the northeast extremity of Victoria Land and entrance to the Ross Sea. Dozens of black and white birds called Cape Petrels enjoyed following us, patiently waiting for cookie to throw out his scraps.

The Cape is a 24km long, 300m perpendicular cliff home to Antarctica’s largest Adélie penguin rookery with 250 000 pairs.

A desolate island

8-March As we surveyed around Scott Island I was inspired by the ruggedness of this volcanic rock.

A small, very rugged and uninhabited island, 50 hectares, Scott Island is very rarely visited and during winter is completely covered by snow and ice. The island lay incorrectly charted for many years until it was correctly surveyed by the Tangaroa in 2007.

A heavy snowcap on Scott Island

Scott Island - Haggitt's Pillar

8 March - To the west of the island lay a magnificent volcanic stack which sticks out like a sore thumb and thrust straight into the sky. Waves smashed against the steadfast pillar of rock trying desperately to push it out of their path.

Reaching over 60m above sea level, Haggitt's Pillar is named after the mother of the Commander of Scott’s relief ship the Morning.

Snowstorm brewing over a tabular iceberg

One of the more spectacular sights in Antarctica is to watch a snow storm brewing, The atmosphere is so dry in Antarctica that it never rains, it only snows. This painting was inspired by a photograph by fellow shipmate Glen Walker.

Tabular icebergs have steep sides and a flat top. Most Antarctic icebergs start off as tabular when they ‘calve’ off from a glacier or an ice shelf.